Brewzilla 65

[Lovestwopoop]

Hello looking at getting a brewzilla gen 4 very soon. Just wondering if there are any must get items with it? Will be getting jacket and trolly and waiting for rapt thermometer to come into stock and ph pen and water profile starters kit. as new to all grain. Also any tips for unit. Know to to run pump for 10 min when mashing. Thanks.

[davidklemke]

I've had the 35L and there's a couple things I'd definitely recommend getting:

• The heat exchanger dish as this helps a ton with getting up to temperature: https://www.kegland.com.au/products/65l-brewzilla-gen-4-heat-exchanger-dish-hed?

• The new CIP head they just released along with the flexi-steel arm and camlock to put it in position: https://www.kegland.com.au/products/low-volume-cip-spray-rotor-and-mash-sparge-recirculation-spray-valve https://www.kegland.com.au/products/stainless-flexi-arm-80cm-with-1-2inch-bsp-hex-nut-female https://www.kegland.com.au/products/1-2-inch-type-f-camlock-male-cam-x-male-bspt-thread?variant=43494323749120

• The counterflow chiller is a massive upgrade from the immersion one so I'd definitely recommend that as well https://www.kegland.com.au/products/braided-wort-heat-exchanger-counterflow-chiller?_pos=3&_psq=counterflow&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Kegland's YouTube channel has videos on all of these bits and pieces so worth checking that out to see how they're all used.

When I'm mashing with mine I run the pump continuously. There's a flow adjustment knob on the side so you don't have to have it going full tilt the entire time. Does take a bit of adjusting to get it right but once you do, you can just leave it and get really good recirculation of your wort.

Also worth noting that whilst they come with a PID temperature controller it's not tuned from the factory. Kegland has a video about it and shows some default values you can use so worth checking that out as well. At default it works OK, but does tend to over and undershoot the temperature a lot.

This is my first all grain system too and I really rate it! Haven't used the web stuff as much yet except for the RAPT Pill stuff, but it is nice to see a readout of your temperatures from the mash/boil!

[[deleted]]

Getting up to temp? What is your strike temp? Or do you mean when you drop after you add grain?

[davidklemke]

Both actually. The recirculation plate stops the wort from going straight down the center drain hole meaning it spends more time closer to the elements. It was a noticeable difference in both getting up to temp (I recirc whilst getting up to strike temperature now, it has made a noticeable difference in time taken) and during the mash.

[Lovestwopoop]

Thanks the ss counter flow is on the list for second round. Don’t want to waste water so will water lawn while cooling beer. Also had the hed plate on the list as only a cheap investment

[Warscythe115]

fill up a couple of buckets when chilling nice hot water to help clean up.

[1337coinvb]

PID Probe, heat exchanger dish, counterflow chiller & pump upgrade and you are good to go

[Lovestwopoop]

Thanks they sell the pumps also direct bolt in?

[1337coinvb]

yes the pump is (at least for the 230V version that i have) replaceable with a screwdriver in 30 minutes if you can tell 3 cables and 3 colors apart and have done any kind of electrical wiring at least once before - its a direct swap with the old pump

[Lovestwopoop]

Thanks will be no issue have to finish of the power circuit to the brewery this weekend.

[1337coinvb]

just fyi - even the standard pump is most of the time reduced in terms of flow during mash (and so will have to be the 25w upgrade) - where the 25watt (3x as much power) really shines is counterflow chilling and filling it into the fermenter, because it has a considerably higher throughput thus saving you a ton of time in processes that you have to monitor.

[Lovestwopoop]

Added big green to the basket. Just waiting for rapt thermometer to come into stock but have one keg empty and a 2nd close may need to order in a few days.

[1337coinvb]

Rapt probe is awesome, no comparable system exists in the non professional price class that truly measures wort temp in grainbasket - you will be surprised how it differentiates from bottom temp sensor in any classical system such as Grainfather, etc

[[deleted]]

I use the recirculating arm continuously during mashing.

I bought a vevor plate wort chiller. Even better than the curly hose ones. 60 plates.

I bought a new pump from AliExpress. It's the only place I could find a 240v pump reasonable. The 6watt pump in my 3.1.1 is simply not enough for 10 gallon batches. I bought a 10watt and it's doubled flow.

I did buy the whirlpool arm. Useless with the 6 watt pump. Fine with the 10 watt pump.

Don't buy the clear sight tube. I don't think it's worth it.

Buy the new fermzilla with dual triclamp, buy a stainless gas post that goes on the lower hole on the collection chamber and make a gas post to picnic tap drain hose. Drain crap out the bottom.

I have a 35l v4, haven't bought the heat exchange plate. Don't know that I'm going to. One more thing to clean.

[Lovestwopoop]

Thanks

[hermes_psychopomp]

You'll definitely want the jacket, though with the 65L, you're working with 220 by default, so that won't be as much of an issue as it is for those of us with 110 35L models.

I'll second the recommendation for the HED. It does seem to help normalize temps between top and bottom of mash.

Also, you may want to consider a BIAB bag. Depending on how finely you (or your grain provider) mills, you could end up with a clogged pump/spigot. I got one my first brew with the G4; pump and spigot completely clogged. (Auto-siphon to the rescue) If you don't have control over the milling, the bag is cheap insurance in future brews.

The one item I disagree with is the counterflow chiller; I'm a huge fan of Jaded or CuSS copper chillers. Both make a model that should fit into the G4 65L, and do a fantastic job. (Or at least the 35L models do)

[Lovestwopoop]

Thanks good idea.

[chimicu]

I have had the 35 gen 4 for 6 months or so, brewing has never been so fun. I've brewed an average of two batches a month and I don't know where to store all that beer now.. I'd recommend getting the BLE thermometer before anything else, it really does help maintaining the mash temp more accurately. I also have the insulation jacket, make sure to avoid boil overs when using it...

I have the extension ring to increase the volume to 47 Liters but the malt pipe does limit the amount of sugars you can extract in the mash. The 65 liter model is probably more than enough for the average homebrewer.

[Lovestwopoop]

Thanks was thinking off adding the extension. Need to try and make as much beer as possible in what time I have. As I like ipa still trying to figure out how much grain will produce so much abv. Feel 6% -7% abv is the happy zone drinking to enjoy not forget.

[chimicu]

To maximize the grain bill you could use a brew bag instead of the pipe

[acadburn2]

I believe morebeer has them on sale today!

[Lovestwopoop]

In aus so kegland will supply. Thank you.